Guinea's First Railway, Contracted by Chinese Central SOE, Starts Construction

The construction of the Guinea Da-shen Railway, the first modern railway in Guinea in the past half century, recently got underway.

The project was investigated and designed by China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd. (FSDI) which is affiliated to China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC).

The line will start from Dabilon and terminate at the Saintour mining area, a distance of 118.9 kilometers.

It will be a heavy haul railway specially built for the mining area, and will not only serve mining and mineral transport of the Saintour mining area but also support the bauxites enterprises alongside.

In September 2018, FSDI won the bid for the survey and design of the railway. It's the first time the company had shouldered a full survey and design of an overseas railway under Chinese standards.

Engineering technicians with rich industry and overseas working experience were sent for the preliminary investigation.

They conquered the difficulties created by the severe natural environment such as thick forest, narrow valleys and plagues of mosquitoes and resolved the problems of complicated geography in a mineral rich area, roadbed selection and drainage installation and finished the investigation within three months, giving the construction solid technical foundation.

Guinea has become the world's largest exporter of bauxite and when completed the Da-shen Railway, with a $3 billion investment, will strengthen its leading position in bauxite exports.

In addition, the new line will be an economic corridor for industry and agriculture and drive the development of a modern railway network across the country and the entirety of West Africa, which will promote the entire continent's economic growth.

The construction of the Guinea Da-shen Railway, the first modern railway in Guinea in the past half century, recently get underway. [Photo/China Railway Construction Corporation Limited]

Chinese Engineering technicians with rich industry and overseas working experience are sent for the preliminary investigation. [Photo/CRCC]

(Executive editor: Li Shuling)